Reviewed by True
TITLE: Once Upon a Christmas Con
SERIES: Once Upon a Holiday Story
AUTHOR: Skylar. M. Cates
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 178 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 29, 2024
BLURB:
When Cesar fell…
I was a boy in love with my best friend. I’m a man now, but I’m still afraid to tell him and risk our friendship. As a UFC fighter, I know how to feel invincible but don’t know how to protect my heart from rejection.
When Kieran awakened…
Helping my best friend get a date should be easy. My older brother is a good guy, and it’s the holiday season, full of giving and joy. So, why am I finding it impossible? It’s a romantic Christmas con, only I’m the one falling for Cesar.
Maybe it’s those romance books I’ve been given or the unexpected jealousy, but I can’t let Cesar date my brother. Not when I’m just discovering my sexuality and how to deal with my embarrassing health condition. I don’t know what it all means, but one thing I do know? Cesar is mine.
Tropes: childhood friends, holiday romance, friends to lovers, pining, role reversal, bi-awakening, hurt/comfort, and slow burn.
Once Upon a Christmas Con is a part of the multi-author series Once Upon a Holiday Story. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Hook’s Book Nook Traveling Library, a library on wheels owned by two old ladies in love.
REVIEW:
Cesar has been best friends with Kieran from the moment they met at school, at the time Cesar came from Lima, Peru to New Jersey.
Not just best friends, no, they were glued to the hips. Where Cesar was was Kieran and vice versa.
Cesar develops deeper feelings for Kieran but will never confess. He can’t risk their friendship; he just can’t live without him.
One day when they were in their twenties, Cesar decided to get over Kieran and try to get romantically involved with someone else. He asks Kieran if he could help him get together with Kieran’s older brother Elias. Kieran agrees.
As a UFC fighter Cesar can hide his soft side behind his MMA skills, Kieran is the only one who knows the real Cesar, the emotional and vulnerable one.
Kieran isn’t happy with the idea of any other guy with Cesar than him. Could he risk their friendship?
We can watch their friendship slash relationship bloom, there are also some interesting, minor side plots. All quite mellow placed in the story.
There are a lot of inner thoughts. For my pleasure, instead of these, I would have loved to watch some more actual interaction and spoken words. In the end, it worked more than I hoped for.
And yes, there is action and it’s hot!
It’s a slow burn, with lovely characters. I do love friends to lovers content.
Overall, it is a story with a true Christmas spirit.
RATING: 
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